Census should answer the crucial questions

The revelation that seven out of every 10 Ugandans spend more than they earn should be an eye-opener for the government and development partners. 

The survey, sponsored by the Bank of Uganda and partners, shows how the incomes of the people, despite the country moving to middle-income status, are still too low to sustain them.  

This is a result of the rising cost of living, rising rates of inflation, and high rates of underemployment or unemployment.

The other questions would be what happens when there are no sources of that money needed to survive? What avenues of borrowing are available and how sustainable are they? What is the repayment process like?

Isn’t the repayment schedule and interest involved responsible for the increasing poverty and loss of property and sources of livelihood by the borrowers?

Ugandans have become more vulnerable in the last five years despite the country posting positive economic indicators.

Financial well-being is an element of four indicators; capacity of an individual to meet day-to-day financial obligations and consumption needs, capacity to absorb and recover from financial shocks), ability to reach future goals, and feeling secure and in control of finances. However, most Ugandans fall in the category of unhealthy financial well-being.

Despite the survey giving glaring indicators, it does not explain or dig deep to establish how we got there. Therefore, the forthcoming census should be able to answer all these questions on how and why Ugandans are slowly falling into the poverty ditch and be able to provide guidelines and information important for the government, policymakers, development partners, and the leadership to make decisions to overturn the trend. The policymakers should use the census data to develop and evaluate poverty alleviation strategies that have been promoted by the government over the years and understand why they are not achieving their objectives.  

By understanding the demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status of different communities, the government should tailor policies and programs to address specific needs effectively.

The numbers, the economic activities, and the general well-being should inform the government of the tasks ahead. The willingness of the government to take these steps will be also crucial.  Therefore, the census should not just be about knowing how many millions of people Ugandans are, but focus more on what sort of lives Ugandans have and how they can be improved.  

The data should help in evidence-based policymaking, resource allocation, and efforts aimed at fighting poverty. That way, the census will be meaningful to both the government and the people.